Accessory hooks for securing plastic grocery and merchandise sacks, garment hangers and the like in motor vehicles are known in the art. Such accessory hooks are used primarily to protect both the articles in the sack or on the hanger from being damaged, as well as to protect passengers in the vehicle from these same articles during transport in the event of sudden deceleration or sharp cornering.
Accessory hooks for securing plastic grocery or merchandise sacks are often located in the passenger compartment or the cargo area of a vehicle. Similarly, accessory hooks for securing a garment hanger are usually located in a headliner of the vehicle or on an adjacent garnish molding. While accessory hooks for these applications are known in the prior art, they suffer from several drawbacks. For example, suspending articles from hooks located in the headliner or garnish molding can obscure the driver's and passengers' view through windows of the passenger doors. In addition, articles so suspended can make vehicle ingress and egress cumbersome for the passengers.
Another shortcoming of current accessory hooks is that they tend to project into the vehicle interior even when not in use, increasing the potential for inadvertent snagging or abrasions to passengers. One solution to this problem is to configure the hook so that it can be retracted when not in use. Example retractable hooks found in the art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,959,954 to Brandt et al., 5,769,294 to Heinz et al. and 4,720,028 to Takemura et al. While these devices perform their intended purpose, they typically utilize an opposing surface of the hook as a closeout panel when the hook is in a stowed position. Such hooks are subject to unintentional movement to at least a partially extended position due to vibration and shock imparted to the hook by the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion. Others have attempted to overcome these drawbacks by incorporating latches and biasing devices into the accessory hook assembly, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,663,067 to Gordon and 6,095,469 to Von Alman. However, such accessory hooks are relatively complex and expensive to produce and are subject to failure with repeated use. There is a need for a reliable accessory hook that requires relatively few components, is inexpensive to produce and is retained in a stowed position when not in use.